wn the turbulent spirits in
his portion of the tribe; he had out-intrigued savage politicians and
had smoothed over more than one difficulty like this. As a matter of
fact he was assimilating some of the white man's ways; he was getting
into business; working a crew of his people at wood-cutting, selling
cord-wood to the stage company at the Stein's Pass station. He was
doing well, saving money, and saw ahead of him the time when he would
own many cattle, like some of the settlers.

All of this was very comfortable and to his taste, and because he
liked it he held a firm stand against the suasions of warring chiefs
from his and other tribes. He even came to cool terms with his
relative Mangus Colorado, the greatest leader the Apaches had ever
known. But while he was keeping to his position he had to listen to
many an argument and many a tale of the white man's treachery, and a
man cannot listen often without sometimes finding himself inclined to
believe.

Settler and soldier, so said Mangus Colorado and other men of parts
among his people, regarded their promises to the Indians as nothing;
they were forever trying to entice the Apaches into conference and
then taking advantage of them--sometimes by massacre. While he argued
slowly against the impatient utterances of Lieutenant Bascom, reading
the growing intolerance in the other's eyes, Cochise remembered some
of the stories which he had frowned down when his people told them.

That was the state of affairs when Lieutenant Bascom, with the
cocksureness of the young and the intolerance of the Easterner for
frowzy Indians, made a decision. To him it was evident that these
tattered savages were lying, they were a treacherous lot at the best,
and always thieves. So, now that he was getting sick of the whole
drawn-out business, he turned from the interpreter to his sergeant.

"Arrest 'em," he said.

Cochise heard him and slipped to the rear of the tent as the troopers
stepped forward. The other chiefs, who could understand no English,
did not need an interpreter to tell them the meaning of this movement.
At once the quiet of the Arizona night was shattered by the thud of
blows and savage outcries. The crowded space within the tent was
filled with struggling men.

And while that fight went on, Cochise, aflame with hatred, outraged by
this violation of the sacred custom of conference, believing now every
word that had been spoken to him by Mangus Colorado and the other